- And if I do not want?

“You haven't tried it yet.” How would you know?

- Well ... I already like it. Maybe you can postpone?

- Alas. Everyone goes through this, honey. And you, and me, and all our ancestors are women.

- What a stupid custom? Why not out of love, mom?

- Oh, you will love, baby. Rest assured.

- And you, just like that, fell in love with dad?

- Of course. You still do not understand. This ritual is intended to reveal all the most secret things in you. And love is on the list.

- Well, why not just choose? Most. Without ritual. Just poke a finger at someone prettier ...

- Luna, you want “for love” and not just to poke a finger.

- I ... I, just afraid. Mom, here you are with dad dark, and grandmother and grandfather, too ...

- Well?

“Does that mean I choose darkness too?”

- Hmm. In our family most were dark. But this is optional. Here, your great-great-great-grandmother, was bright.

- And who is stronger?

- Almost equally.

- Nearly?

- Well, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses.

- What do you think?

- I do not know, I'm dark, so I judge biased.

- That is the darkness is the strongest?

- Maybe so, but I have nothing to compare.

- Mom?

- Um?

- Does it hurt?

- No ... soon you will find out everything, honey. Do not be afraid.

- Easy to tell you. You've already gone through this.

- Luna, after all, you will remember it with a smile.

- Give the word?

- I give you my word.

***

Sena left her daughter's room, leaving her to dress. For the past hour and a half, she was combing the hair of the moon, trying to calm her down. There was little sense in combing, red, almost red curls could not be laid or at least disentangled, but she could not lie in the eyes of her daughter and lie. Covering the heavy carved door behind her, she moved to the throne room. There is waiting for her husband to dispose of the latest preparations.

In the hall, as always, the servants flicker, cleaning, rearranging and rubbing all the ninth time in a day. The illusion of work always calmed Guetta. He himself stood with his back to the arch, which entered the Seine, watching the preparations.

“I swear, I wasn't so small and fragile on my Choice Day.”

Gett turned to his wife's voice, and the concern on his face gave way to a warm smile.

“Sena, dear,” he extended a dark, wide palm toward her — it only seems to you. When I saw you, I thought that a child had been slipped into me, - he smiled and twisted his fingers with his thin fingers.

- But I was a child. - Seine, smiling, came up to her husband and pressed her temple to his broad chest.

“You were sixteen, like everyone, and you looked like thirteen.” Corner ... and scared, - he deafly laughed.

- ABOUT! Would you be scared if I were in my place? You incarnate a demon! - she portrayed fright.
- Something the last twenty-five years, I do not scare you much.

Gett leaned over and kissed his one and only love. He had women and before her, many, different, but once he saw and tried this trembling girl ... it was IT! Feeling even worse and stronger than love! Insanity, obsession, obsession! At that moment, he realized that she was now his and only him. The only and the last. He will give all his blood drop by drop, every part of his body, if she asks. But she will not ask, because she feels the same.

“For the past twenty-five years, I've been a demon too. - Sena smiled.

- I love you, my demon.

- And I love you, my winged.

***

The moon looked into a high gilded mirror. Emerald velvet dress to the floor emphasized all the bends and echoed the color of the iris. The cut is a little deeper than she used to, but Mom knows better. No decorations for her today. And why? Lush red hair spread over a long neck and sharp narrow shoulders. Dark eyebrows and long eyelashes do not require makeup.Small upturned nose with occasional freckles, plump lips, reddened by numerous bites.

The girl was waiting for her to be called to the ceremony. Calm the heartbeat did not work in the morning. Not that she did not want to enter adulthood, but these difficulties with the Choice, anyone will be brought to a heart attack.

- Okay. Calm down - to talk to yourself when you're nervous, it became a habit for a long time. - It's not so scary. Nobody died of it ... it seems. Oh, I wish it was over.

“Mom is dimming something,” came an inner voice in her head. - It seems to me that everything is not as rosy as she describes.

- Shut up. Mom knows what she says.

“But you didn't even see them.”

- Here and see ...

The door opened and an old maid entered.

- Luna, girl, it's time.

“I'm going ...” the girl whispered to the already closed door. - Everything, there is no place to retreat.

On the stiff legs, the moon moved out of the room. Music was playing in the throne room, the feast was in full swing. She was not supposed to eat yet, so she was called just in time for the ceremony. The hall was buzzing, the already hopping guests were discussing the upcoming Choice, but when the moon entered, everyone instantly fell silent and stared at the sixteen-year-old beauty that appeared in the arch.

“Oh, papa turned everything over again,” thought Luna. - Why is he so nervous?

- Princess Moon! - Herald announced.

All rose. In complete silence, the girl proceeded to the throne to the left of her father.

The king has risen.

- Today, on the day of majority of our daughter, a holy ceremony of choice will be held! We ask candidates from Darkness, Light and Shadows to go through ritual preparations.

Only now Luna drew attention to the three high chairs at the far end of the hall. There were no faces to be seen, they all had identical mantles with deep hoods, but different in color: black, white and gray. At that moment, four figures separated from the dark wall, carrying a goblet and a thin, short dagger. One of them slowly swam to the moon, the rest went to the candidates.

- Mom, what should I do now? - whispered the girl corner of his lips.

- Give a hand to the priest and ... better close your eyes.

The princess obediently extended her left hand, but her eyes stubbornly refused to close. The priest put the goblet on the arm of the throne and touched the icy fingers of the tender maiden skin. The moon shuddered, the heart beat so that it seemed that everyone present should hear it, its mouth was dry, eyes began to pinch. The tip of the dagger blade touched the blue strip on the wrist. She did not even feel how sharp the metal had cut the skin, only saw a trickle of dark blood flowing from her hand into a substituted goblet. The priest whispered something in an incomprehensible language, and when he finished, he ran the blade flat on the cut and he disappeared without a trace.

- Blood of innocence.

In complete silence, the priest’s voice seemed to be a scream. He turned back to the moon.

“Exhale, completely,” he whispered to the frozen girl, putting the cup to her lips. She obeyed.

“Breath of love,” the priest proclaimed to the whole hall. Then he turned and took the edge of the cup, an unknown tear from the cheek of the Moon. Crystal liquid rolled into the bowl, mixed with blood.

- Tears of loyalty.

The priest raised the goblet above his head, and its contents flashed a green flame.

Only now, when no one tried to cut it, did the Moon see the cup. A silver emerald-encrusted bowl shimmered in candlelight.

- I wonder, are they all the same? - thought the girl, admiring the warm highlights on the faces of the stones.

She looked to the candidates. Beside them, in complete silence, priests swarmed. Then at the same time they turned around and, raising cups over their heads, said in chorus: "Life, power and love." The cups flashed scarlet and went out.

All four priests swam to the center of the hall. Having met, they bowed to each other and moved in the opposite direction to the one from which they had come. Trinity stopped on the left ...